There has been an increasing demand for remotely controllable circuit breakers that can reciprocate between an open circuit and a closed circuit in response to a remotely generated command. One advantageous application for such circuit breakers is in the control panelboards that are used for automated control systems such as automated lighting systems. Automated lighting systems have been developed for the control of lighting circuits based upon inputs such as the time-of-day, wall switches, occupancy sensors and/or control from a power distribution system. Lighting control systems offer an opportunity to save energy by automating the process of cutting back on the number of lighting fixtures that are illuminated, or by cutting out artificial lighting altogether when circumstances warrant. For example, ambient light sensors can be used to control lighting circuits in response to ambient light levels. The sensors can serve both switching and automatic dimming functions that can adjust the output of the lighting system continually in response to the amount of daylight striking the ambient light sensor. Occupancy sensors can be used to activate lighting when someone is in a space and to deactivate the lighting, perhaps after a set time interval, when a person is no longer detected in the space. Using such a system, occupants no longer have to remember to turn the lights off when leaving the space.
Automated control systems can require a remotely controllable circuit breaker, and such circuit breakers should have a low cost and should be of high reliability. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a low cost and high reliability remotely controllable circuit breaker.